Flamboyant French international footballer Hatem Ben Arfa was ordered to appear before magistrates to face allegations of four driving offences.

It was claimed the 26-year-old was clocked in his Mercedes on a 70mph stretch of road on the A696 Woolsington bypass on the outskirts of Newcastle in September.

When police pulled him over, it was alleged he was also found to be driving with no insurance.

The court heard just five days later, the United midfielder was again stopped this time in a Volkswagen Golf again driving with no insurance and the vehicle was incorrectly registered.

He appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court yesterday but only entered one plea to one of the charges.

The star pleaded not guilty to the no insurance matter from driving the VW on Grandstand Road in Gosforth, Newcastle, on September 11 but didn’t enter pleas to the other charges. The case didn’t go ahead as defending solicitor Michelle Brown claimed they had been unaware of the speeding and first no-insurance matter until that day.

She said: “It seems there are two sets of proceedings here but I have to confess, I am only aware of one set of these.

“We knew about the no insurance and the failing to register a vehicle from September 11.

“It’s not a straight forward situation because it’s our application that he did have insurance as he had an international Green Card. He was not the keeper of the Volkswagen and the car was only in the country for a short period of time.

“We have some French statements with regard to this, which need to be interpreted into English for the prosecution.

“The Crown Prosecution Service have agreed to look at these representations, so I would ask for an adjournment and, in the interim, we can look at the speeding offence and the other no insurance offence.”

Ms Brown added: “He has a French driving licence but the Green Card is for third party insurance on a foreign-registered vehicle in the UK.”

Julia Bell, prosecuting, made no representation and magistrates agreed to adjourn the case until next month.

It was announced last week the Magpies star has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring issue.

Through an interpreter, Ben Arfa, told the court he may not be able to attend the next hearing as he was injured and would be in France.

He said: “Excuse me, I have a wound and I may not be able to attend then. I might be in Paris.”

Magistrates agreed the Ben Arfa didn’t have to attend the next hearing and his solicitor could appear in his place.